Discussion Questions for Becoming by Michelle Obama
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1. In this book series with Michelle Obama’s “Becoming”, we will be discussing the ways race has affected and influenced the author’s life. Name an instance (in which race was involved) that stood out to you in this life story. Why did this stand out to you? Why do you feel the author felt the need to share this memory?
2. In chapters 1-3 the author talks about the “white flight” that occurred in her childhood neighborhood. The author also shares two school photos that visibly show the product of “white flight” in a very powerful way (page 2 of photo inserts). How do you think this type of change affected the residents and businesses that stay behind? Those who leave? Have you experienced or witnessed something similar in your lifetime?
3. In chapter 7, the author describes her experience attending Princeton University, which at the time was made up of less than 9 percent black students. She describes the struggles she felt at the time while also sharing a situation with her white roommate that she learned about later in life. How do you feel these experiences shaped her and prepared her for the next chapters of her life? How do you think she might have been affected if she had learned about her roommate while in university, instead of later in life? Do you have a similar experience that you would like to share?
4. Open Discussion